Improved mode of slinging accouterments



UNITED STATES PATENT EETEE.

IV. D. MANN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,@49, dated December 8, 1863.

To @ZZ whom it 11mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, IIVILLIAM D. MANN, of Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigamhave invented anew and Improved Mode of Slinging Infantry and Cavalry Arms and Accouterments; I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of the manner of slin gin g the cartridge-box and knapsack of an infantry soldier. Fig. 2 represents a similar view otI the manner of slinging the cartridge-box, saber, and pistol of a cavalry soldier.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in both f1 gures ofthe drawings.

The principal object of this invention is to transfer the entire weight of the arms and accouterments of a cavalry or infantry soldier, usually worn upon the body from the waist to the shoulders, for the purpose of lessening the tendency ofthe soldier to inflammation of the bowels, piles, hernia, and other diseases which result from wearing a tight belt around the waist, and at the same time enable him to carry a much larger quantity of ammunition than he could possibly do in the usual ordinary way.

To this end the invention consists in hanging the cartridge-box in front of the body of the soldier, so as to have the principal weight thereof and that of the other accouterments and arms worn upon the body counterbalance one another and bring the principal weight of the whole of either a cavalry or infantry soldier upon the shoulders.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, I willproceed to describe it.

In the accompanying drawings, A and A may represent the usual leathern body-belts worn by infantry and cavalry soldiers, respectively. Each of these belts is provided with met-al loops or rings, which may be permanently attached to the belt by sewing, riveting, or otherwise, or may be attached to leathern loops b, which are slipped on the belt.

B B in both figures are straps attached to the back side of the cartridge-box, at top and bottom, so as to form a loop on either side through which the body-belt is passed to keep the box in its place on the body.

If desired, instead of the cartridge-box being permanently attached to the straps B B, it may be attached so that it can be adjusted higher or lower thereon.

For infantry soldiers, the straps B B pass upover the shoulders, thence cross each other, and pass down the back to the body-belt, to which they are connected by the ends being passed through the metal rings c and hooked up in the manner shown.

For cavalry soldiers, the straps B B, which pass over the shoulders and down the back, pass around the body to a pointjust over the hips, where they are connected to the waistbelt A, one strap being fastened in the ring from which the saber is suspended, and the other attached to the belt, im mediatelyin front or just behind the holster.

For infal'itry soldiers, the shoulder belts or straps are each provided in front with a buckle, c, and the body-belt with two buckles, d d, which may be sewed or otherwise suitably attached. The buckles c and d d on the shoulder-straps and body-belt, one for the attachment of the knapsack, the former to receive straps permanently attached at one end to the knapsack near the top, and by which it is slung from the shoulders, and the latter to receive straps attached to the bottom of the knapsack, and which serve to steady the same and to prevent it swinging away from the body.

For cavalry soldiers, no extra buckles on either the shoulder-straps or body-belt are required.

In Fig. 2, C represents an ordinary cavalry saber suspended from the body-belt in the usual manner by two straps.

D represents a pistol-holster attached to the body-belt in the usual manner. rIhe weight of these arms on the body is` sufficient to counterbalance the weight ofthe cartridgebox when iilled with ammunition, so that the principal weight of all the accouterments of a cavalry soldier worn upon the body will be borne upon the shoulders, where he can carry it a greater distance and with less fatigue than any other way.

In the ordinary method of y'slinging cavalry arms and accouterments the principal weight ofthe saber, pistol, and ammunition is sus tained by the body-belt; consequently this must tightly fit the body, the e'ect of which is to prevent that free action of the respiratory organs which is necessary to the `general health ofthe soldier, and without which he cannot long expect to be able to perform military duty. The worst effect ot' the ordinary method of slinging cavalry accouterments, however, is the tendency it has to pioduce hernia, which always immediately unts the soldier for military duty, and very often for any occupation. By my mode ot'slinging the arms and accouterments of cavalry and infantry soldiers none of the evil effects above mentioned can obtain. The whole weight of the arms and accouterments is sustained by the shoulders, thus doing away with thc necessity of Wearing; a tight body-belt and permitting it to be worn as loose as :nay be desired. But aside from the benefits which inure to the soldier in a sanitary point ot' view, my invention is one of importance in a mili.- tary point of view.

rlhe soldier is enabled to carry on his body at least double the quantity of ammunition in this way that he could possibly in any other.

This feature of my invention above is ot' special importance to cavalry soldiers, who, armed with what is known as repeating-rifles. rlhese arms use up a large quantity of ammu. nition in a short time, and unless some way is provided whereby they can be easily and quickly replenished with charges, they are of little more use than the ordinary breech-loadin g carbines.

Another fcature of myinvention, but which I make no claim to here, is the attachment ot the cap-box to one side of the cartridgebox. This is shown clearly in both figures of the drawings, in which F represents the capboX, and G the cartridge-box, the former being attached to the latter by sewing or otherwise. ln this position of the cap-box the caps are more accessible than when the box is hung on the belt in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The manner herein described and represented of slinging the cartridge-box of an infantry or cavalry soldier so as to have the weight thereof counterbalanced by the other accouterments and arms usually worn upon the body and the weight of the whole borne upon the shoulders,substantiallyasdescribed.

'lhe above specification ot` my improved mode ot' slinging infantry and cavalry arms and accouterments signed this 17th day of November, 1863.

W. D. MANN.

Witnesses Jas. CULL, J. S. HARRIsoN. 

